Any serious property decision comes back to a simple question: who is actually building this? The Jebel Ali Racecourse development answers that question with two names that carry real weight. This page explains who they are, why they matter, and what their involvement signals about the project.
The Developer: A.R.M. Holding
A.R.M. Holding is the UAE-based investment group leading the wider Jebel Ali Racecourse transformation. It is the private investment arm of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. That parentage alone tells you something meaningful about the standing and long-term intent behind this project.
As a group, A.R.M. Holding is active across a range of sectors, with real estate representing one of its most visible areas of activity. Its portfolio has included involvement in some of Dubai's most recognisable properties and business interests over the years.
When the private investment arm of the Ruler of Dubai commissions a five-square-kilometre masterplan, it is not a speculative exercise.
Why This Matters
Property in Dubai, more than in many markets, is sensitive to the standing of the developer behind it. Projects backed by established, well-capitalised groups tend to reach completion, meet their commitments, and hold their value in ways that speculative developments often do not.
A.R.M. Holding's involvement provides several reassurances to a buyer:
- Long-term commitment. A project of this scale takes years to deliver. A developer with the standing of A.R.M. Holding has both the resources and the incentive to see it through.
- Alignment with Dubai's broader vision. This is a project shaped by the same leadership that shapes the city's direction, which is why it aligns so closely with the Dubai 2040 plan.
- Quality benchmarks. Projects at this level tend to attract serious architectural and consulting talent, which is precisely what has happened here with the choice of BIG.
The Architect: BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
BIG, formally the Bjarke Ingels Group, is the Danish-founded international architecture practice commissioned to design the Jebel Ali Racecourse masterplan. Under the leadership of its founder, the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, BIG has grown from a young Copenhagen studio into one of the most influential architecture firms working today.
A Global Portfolio
BIG's built work spans multiple continents and includes some of the most talked-about buildings of the past two decades. The practice is known for a distinctive design philosophy that combines bold, memorable form with a genuine concern for how people actually live and move through space. Its projects range from major cultural buildings and museums to residential landmarks, corporate headquarters, urban infrastructure and full-scale masterplans.
Some of BIG's most recognised works include the CopenHill waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen (which doubles as a public ski slope), the VIA 57 West residential building in New York, the LEGO House in Denmark, and the Google Bay View campus in California. The practice has also been involved in high-profile masterplanning work for cities including New York, Copenhagen and Toronto.
What BIG Brings to Jebel Ali Racecourse
BIG's involvement in the Jebel Ali Racecourse masterplan is significant for a few reasons. Practices at this level rarely take on projects casually, and their fingerprint tends to be visible in the finished work.
- Design ambition. BIG is known for treating masterplans as coherent design objects rather than collections of buildings. The result tends to be places with a clear identity.
- Focus on liveability. The practice has an established track record of designing for how people actually inhabit a space, not just how it looks in renders.
- Integration of green space. Public green space is a recurring theme in BIG's masterplans, aligning with what the Jebel Ali Racecourse plan describes.
- International reputation. Involvement of a practice of BIG's standing signals that this is a project designed to be recognised globally, not only locally.
The Short Version
A.R.M. Holding is a UAE investment group of the highest standing, backing this project for the long term. BIG is one of the most respected architecture practices in the world, designing the masterplan. Together they represent a level of commitment that is rare, even by Dubai standards.
What This Tells a Buyer
None of this guarantees a purchase decision, and it is not meant to. A buyer's decision rightly depends on price, product, timing and personal circumstances. But the identity of the parties behind a project is one of the earliest and most useful signals available, and here it is a positive one.
A project of this scale, backed by a group of this standing, designed by architects of this reputation, is not being built to be forgotten. That is worth understanding before the launch, not after.
Read More
For more on the project itself, see our development guide and location guide. For context on how the project fits Dubai's wider direction, see our Dubai 2040 explainer. And for the practical side of a Dubai purchase, our off-plan buying guide covers the process step by step.